Curacao Gaming Licence Casinos in Canada

A Curacao gaming licence is among the most recognized online casino licences in the industry. It ensures a regulated environment, offering trustworthiness and peace of mind.

At a Curacao casino, players can expect:

• Fair games
• Transparency
• Player data protection
• Secure gambling
• Responsible gambling tools
• A varied games library
• Paying with cryptocurrencies

Let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects and how Curacao eGaming, often also referred to as the Curacao Gambling Commission,  ensures these conditions are met. 

Curacao eGaming has several mechanisms and requirements in place to ensure fair gaming at its licensed casinos. These include:

Curacao casinos are required to implement robust security measures to safeguard player data and financial transactions.

These are some of the key requirements and guidelines set out by the Curacao Gambling Commission:

The Curacao Gambling Commission emphasizes the importance of player protection and responsible gambling practices. 

Many Curacao-licensed casinos offer tools and resources for responsible gaming. These may include any of the ones described below:

• Player Self-Exclusion: A Curacao casino provides players with tools to exclude themselves from gambling for a specific period or indefinitely. 
• Deposit Limits: Players can set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits, ensuring they don't spend beyond their means.
• Time Reminders: Curacao casinos may offer reality checks or session timers, reminding players how long they've been playing, and encouraging breaks.
• Age Verification: Strict age verification processes are in place to prevent underage gambling.
• Information & Resources: Casinos must provide information about the risks of gambling and direct players to professional help organizations.
• Employee Training: Most casino staff are trained to recognize signs of problem gambling and guide players to appropriate resources.

A Curacao gaming licence doesn't directly mandate a varied games library at online casinos. However, there are several reasons why operators licensed by Curacao might feature a more diverse range of games.

• One-licence-fits-all approach: The Curacao gaming commission offers a single licence that covers all types of services. This streamlined process makes it easier to host a wider variety of games.
• Cost-effective Licence: The Curacao licence is the most cost-effective around. This allows operators to invest more in their games portfolio.
• Global Audience: Curacao-licensed online casinos often target a global audience. That’s why they tend to offer a diverse selection of games to cater to players from different regions with varying preferences.

Curacao casinos often offer a broad range of payment methods, including cryptocurrencies. Its flexible regulatory framework allows operators to more easily adopt and integrate emerging technologies, such as cryptocurrencies.

Also, Curacao-licensed casinos’ global target audience makes cryptocurrencies a desired payment method. Its decentralized nature allows casinos to cater to players from regions with restrictive banking systems or currency controls.

When it comes to licensing, the Curacao jurisdiction operates with a two-tiered system: master licences and sub-licences.

There are only a few master licence holders and these entities have the authority to issue sub-licences to online gambling operators.

Typically, a Curacao casino operates with a sub-licence while the master licence holders act as licensors rather than operators.

Antillephone N.V. is one of the prominent master licence holders in Curacao, but there are 4 in total:

• Antillephone N.V.
• Curaçao Interactive Licensing N.V. (CIL)
• Gaming Curacao (formerly known as Cyberluck Curacao N.V.)
• Curacao Internet Gaming Association (CIGA)

An operator with a sub-licence from Antillephone or another master licence holder is authorized to offer online gambling services.

This structure simplifies the licensing process, making Curacao a popular choice for many online casinos.

Note that the current licensing structure is in the process of being replaced by a new, stricter system.

Checking if an online casino operates with a Curacao licence is easy. Just follow the steps below:

1. Scroll to the casino’s footer. Check for the logo that represents a Curacao licence. Typically, this is “Antillephone NV,” but it can be any of the 4 master licence holders.
2. Click on the logo. The logo should take you to Antillephone’s validator website or any of the other master licence holders’ sites.
3. Check the Curacao site. If the logo is not clickable, you can head to the Curacao eGaming site to validate the casino’s licence and input the Curacao casino’s details or the licence number displayed in the casino’s footer. You can check if it’s still valid, expired or even suspended.

The Curacao Gambling Commission is sometimes perceived as having less stringent regulations compared to its counterparts, the UKGC and MGA. Let’s have a look at what that means.

Curacao eGaming offers a single licence covering all gaming activities, whereas the MGA and UKGC have multi-tiered licences for different gaming types.

This simplicity, combined with faster processing times, lower costs and fewer bureaucratic hurdles, makes a Curacao licence a popular choice for many online casinos seeking to enter the global market.

When it comes to compliance, Curacao eGaming is known to have a more relaxed approach than the MGA or the UKGC. 

Compliance criteria for Curacao casinos are often less detailed and background checks are less exhaustive. However, Curacao eGaming wants to move away from its permissive reputation.

To align with international standards and increase its integrity, Curacao eGaming is looking to introduce stricter regulations on online gambling operators.

This new legislation is known as the National Gambling Ordinance (LOK) and will be supported by a new supervisory authority, the Curacao Gaming Authority.

One of the key changes is that new licences will no longer authorize operators to offer sub-licences. Also, all sub-licensees will have to apply for a new licence.

The revised Curacao gaming licence will be more strict in addressing anti-money laundering and responsible gambling obligations.

Curacao eGaming is one of the oldest jurisdictions granting online gaming licences, its roots dating back to 1996. 

Over the years, it has become one of the most well-known jurisdictions for such licences, largely due to its favourable conditions, including zero VAT and no tax on corporate profits.

This attractive fiscal climate, combined with a simplified licensing process, has led many internet casinos to obtain a Curacao license, allowing them to access different global markets.

The terms "Curacao Gambling Commission" or the “Curacao Gaming Authority” are not the official name  of any regulatory body in Curacao.

When people refer to it, they are often referring to the overarching regulatory framework in Curacao. Its official name is Curacao eGaming.

This is why the Curacao Gambling Commission, the Curacao Gaming Commission, the Curacao Gaming Authority and Curacao eGaming are often used interchangeably.

Another term, often incorrectly used when referring to Curacao online casino licensing, is the “Curacao Gaming Control Board.”

This is the regulatory body responsible for the oversight and regulation of land-based casino gaming in Curacao.

Curacao is among the most prominent gambling licensing authorities, but there are others too. 

Check out our detailed reviews below and discover which ones to look out for when playing at or signing up with an online casino in Canada.